Combination valance and support for window hangings



1965 D. A. WESSELS ETAL 3,223,145

COMBINATION -VALANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WINDOW HANGING-S Filed Oct. 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

I I I 'J I L as F I6. I

If l2 X 5'2 34' I 3OJ FIG. 3

DIANA A. S C S OODSELL H. RENNER 72.44%

ATTORNEY Dem 1965 D. A. WESSELS ETAL 3,223,146

COMBINATION VALANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WINDOW HANGINGS Filed Oct. 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 48 42 /2 /q\4 IQ \\\I\\\ i w FIG. 5 I 60 fig INVENTORS DIANA A. WESSELS GOODSELL H. RENNER BY ATTORNEY 5 D. A. WESSELS ETAL 3,

COMBINATION VALANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WINDOW HANGINGS Filed Oct. 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 W H X n fl/OU FIG. 9

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,223,146 COMBINATION VALANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WINDOW HANGINGS Diana A. Wessels and Goodsell H. Renner, both of 1516 Plainfield Drive, Elkhart, Ind. Filed Oct. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 142,135 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-38) The present invention relates to curtain or drapery fixtures and more particularly to a combination curtain or drapery fixture and valance for pull draperies and curtains.

In conventional pull drapery fixtures, specially made rods with pull cords are used and, if valances are desired, they must be added over the rods. These pull cords tend to become twisted, soiled, worn and unsightly, requiring periodic restringing, which necessitates removal and replacement of the rods which are usually perma nently installed at the windows. The alternative to this type of pull curtains has been ring type fixtures on a conventional rod, the curtains being pulled open or shut by grasping the side of the curtain itself and pulling. Since the rings tend to become caught against each other and do not slide readily on the rods, an undue amount of wear is caused by tugging at the curtains. Again with this type of fixture, if valances are desired, they must be superimposed and separate from the rods. It is, therefore, a principal object of our invention to provide a hook fixture for curtains or draperies in combination with a special type of rod which eliminates the need for pull cords and yet slides so easily that there is no undue wear' from pulling the curtains or draperies, and which is combined as an integral unit with valances.

Another principal object is to provide a permanent wooden or metal valance fixture which can easily be modified to suit any decorative scheme and which also serves as a support for curtains, draperies and short cloth valances.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a valance of the foregoing type which can be used alone at a window or with one or all three of the above hangings, namely curtains, draperies and short cloth valances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination curtain and drapery fixture and valance as an integral unit in which the curtains and/ or draperies can easily be pulled open or closed.

Still another object is to provide rods or valances of the foregoing type in combination with freely rolling hook fixtures which can be installed, removed or replaced without necessitating removal of the rods or valances.

A further object is to provide a combination valance and curtain and drapery support in which short cloth valances may be easily placed and from which they may be easily removed to change a decorative scheme, without removing the permanently installed valance.

Another object is to provide hook fixtures which may be used in combination with a valance so that more than one size hook may be used in the valance runners to accommodate draperies and curtains of different weights of material, e.-g. small hooks for glass curtains nearest the window and larger hooks for draperies on the side adjacent the interior walls of the room, as well as fixtures for short cloth valances immediately under the wooden or metal valance.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a combination valance and curtain or drapery rod illustrating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the valance and curtain rod combination;

3,223,146 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 FIGURE 3 is a view of the underside of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the rear of the valance showing one of the fixtures for supporting short cloth valances;

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing hooks for supporting curtains and/or draperies; and

FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 are schematic cross sectional views of variations of the present structure illustrating different ways in which the parts thereof can be fabricated.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, 10 designates our combination valance and curtain and drapery support, consisting of a top panel 12 having longitudinal channels 14, 16 and 18, channels 14 and 16 extending to a point near the center of the valance but overlapping each other to permit the draperies supported by the fixtures in the channels to be slightly overlapped when they are fully closed. Channel 18 is included to permit curtains to be hung between the draperies and the window without the necessity of installing an additional rod for them. If desired, the channel for the curtain may be eliminated, leaving only the channels for the draperies, and channels for the draperies may be connected to form a single channel similar to channel 18. Since channels 14, 16 and 18 extend substantial distances along the length of panel 12 and hence tend to Weaken it, reinforcing members or fixtures 19 and 19' of double U-shaped construction are preferably riveted to the top side of the panel in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5.

The channels are adapted to support fixtures 20 for supporting curtains and/or draperies. These fixtures con-' sist of a pair of hemispherically shaped wheels 22 and 24 rotatably connected by a shaft rigidly secured to the center of each wheel. A hook 26 with an eye around the shaft is suspended therefrom projecting downwardly through the channels and having an upwardly extending prong for receiving the upper margin of the draperies or curtains. Other types of means in place of the prongs may be used in attaching the curtains or draperies to the hooks, and in the appended claims the term hook is intended to mean and include any type of attaching or securing means, whether hook-shaped or not.

Since the back 30 of the valance would normally be against the wall around the window frame or against the window frame, enlarged openings 32 and 34 are preferably provided near the ends of the three channels to facilitate insertion of fixtures 20 in the channels. After being inserted in the channels, the fixtures are prevented from falling through the opening by a suitable stop means in the channel in front of the openings or by a plug in each hole such as peg 36. A skirt 38 suitable for any particular scheme of room decoration is joined to the edge of panel 12 facing the room, and the valance is secured to the wall above or on either side of the window with a bracket (not shown).

The construction of skirt 38 is a very important aspect of the present invention, consisting generally of an I- shaped cross section as clearly shown in FIGURES 5 and 7. The vertical portion'40 constitutes the actual skirt and has a horizontal portion 42 extending across the top and horizontal portion 44 across the bottom. Portion 42 has a downwardly extending flange 48 at its rear edge, forming a groove 52. Bottom portion 44 has an upwardly extending flange 56 at its rear edge, forming a groove 60. A panel 62 of decorative fabric, plastic, metal or other suitable material, which can readily be removed or replaced to suit any given decorative scheme,

may be secured in any suitable manner to vertical portion 40 between horizontal portions 42 and 44 on the side facing the room.

Grooves 52 and 60 cooperate to support a plurality of spring clip fixtures or clamps 64 which may be used to hold pleated or straight short valances of cloth or other suitable material. Each of these clamps consist of a plate 66, the lower end of which seats in groove 60, and the upper end of which supports a pair of spring levers 68 and 70. In the particular form shown in the drawings, the two spring levers are formed integrally and are connected at the bottom by U-shaped portion 72 and terminate in a curved portion 74 for engaging the upper side of groove 52 to hold the clamp firmly in place on the back side of skirt 38. A pivoted finger 76 is supported on plate 66 by a pair of arms 78 and 80 and cooperating arms 82 and 84 on the underside of finger 76. The four arms are joined together in pivotal relationship by a pin 86 extending therethrough. The lower end of finger 76 is urged toward plate 66 to effect clamping by a spring 88 disposed between arms 78 and 80. A means (not shown) for holding finger 76 in its unclamped position may be provided on the finger so that once the cloth valance has been removed from the clamp, it can be reinserted therein without the clamp being first manipulated. Further, prongs or teeth may be provided on the lower edge of finger 76 and on plate 66 in order to hold the valance securely in clamped position. This clamp is inserted in position on the back side of skirt 38 by first seating levers 68 and 70 in groove 52, then pushing upwardly on the clamp until the lower edge can pass over the upper edge of flange 56 and then seat into groove 60. It is thus seen that these short valances may easily be inserted and removed for replacing or cleaning without removing the valance from the wall.

When the valance of the present invention has been installed and the curtains, draperies, and/or short cloth valances have been hung on the fixtures, the draperies and curtains can be easily pulled between open and closed positions without danger of damaging them, and the short cloth valances easily removed or replaced. The hemispherically shaped wheels 22 and 24 maintain the hooks in proper position for easy rolling along the respective tracks with very little elfort required to maneuver the curtains and draperies to the desired position. Decorative panel 62 can be inserted and removed, and the valance can be finished in such a way that panel 62 may be omitted altogether.

FIGURES 9, and 11 illustrate various ways in which the present structure can be produced, FIGURE 9 consisting of a top plate 90 to which are riveted strips 92, 94, 96 and 98 to form slots 14 and 16. A skirt 100 preferably formed integrally with plate 90 is shown with only the front of horizontal portions 42 and 44 for reraining a decorative strip on the front of the skirt. In the embodiment of FIGURE 10, two split tubular sections 102 and 104 are riveted to plate 90, and skirt 100 is attached to the edge of the plate. In this embodiment the internal grooves 52 and 60 are provided on the inner side of the skirt for receiving clip 64 in the manner previously described. The structures shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 are fabricated from sheet material, preferably by stamping. In the embodiment in FIGURE 11, the entire structure shown is designed to be extruded in a single piece with box-like members 106, 108 and 110 with slots in the bottom forming slots 14, 16 and 18. In this embodiment, grooves 52 at the top and 60 at the bottom are included for the valance clamps, as described in detail hereinbefore. Also, grooves 112 and 114 at the top and bottom of the skirt may be provided for removably and replaceably retaining a decorative strip of material on the face of the skirt.

Another advantage of the present invention is the fact that the present structure can be readily fabricated on a mass production basis without any difficult machining or fabricating operations. The top panel can be formed from a standard piece of flat metal sheet or paneling, and skirt 38 may be extruded in one long strip and cut in two sections of the desired length and formed to correspond to the contour of the front edge of panel 12. The grooves 14, 16 and 18 may either be stamped into panel 12 or produced by any other suitable fabricating operations, such as machining. In cose instances, it may be advantageous to fabricate the parts comprising the portions between the grooves separately, and then assemble them and retain them together by fixtures such as those shown at numerals 19 and 19. Further, if a decorative strip and cloth valance are not required, the entire unit may be stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and. folded into the L-shaped configuration shown in FIGURE 5.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein, various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A combination curtain, drapery and valance fixture, comprising a horizontal elongated panel having a front edge and curved ends and a slot extending substantially the full length thereof and having an enlarged portion at each end, two means on said panel defining overlapping slots in said panel between said first mentioned slot and the front of said panel, said slots extending completely through said panel, fixtures for supporting the curtain and drapery projecting above the upper surface of said panel and including roller members on each side of said slots and hooks extending downwardly and slidable in said slots, a skirt extending the full length of and projecting above and spaced forwardly from said panel along the front of said panel and being secured thereto, said skirt having a downwardly facing groove on the rear side at the top and an upwardly facing groove on the rear side at the bottom, and a strip of decorative material on the front of said skirt.

2. A combination curtain, drapery and valance fixture, comprising a horizontal elongated panel having a front edge, means on said panel defining a slot in said panel extending substantially the full length thereof, means on said panel defining two overlapping slots in said panel between said first mentioned slot and the front of said panel, said slots extending completely through said panel, fixtures for supporting the curtain and drapery projecting above the upper surface of said panel and including opposed members on each side of said slots and hooks extending downwardly and slidable in said slots, a skirt extending along the front of said panel and being secured thereto, said skirt projecting above and spaced forwardly from said panel and having a downwardly facing groove on each side at the top and an upwardly facing groove on each side at the bottom, and a strip of decorative material on the front of said skirt in said grooves.

3. A combination curtain, drapery and valance fixture, comprising a horizontal elongated panel having a front edge, means on said panel defining a slot in said panel extending substantially the full length thereof at each end, means on said panel defining two overlapping slots in said panel between said first mentioned slot and the front of said panel, said slots extending completely through said panel, fixtures for supporting the curtain and. drapery projecting above the upper surface of said panel and including opposed members on each side of said slots and hooks extending downwardly and slidable in said slots, and a skirt extending the full length of and projecting above said panel along the front of said panel and being secured thereto and spaced forwardly therefrom.

4. A combination curtain, drapery and valance fixture, comprising a horizontal elongated panel having a front edge, means on said panel defining a slot in said panel extending substantially the full length thereof and having an enlarged portion at one end, means on said panel defining two overlapping slots in said panel between said first mentioned slot and the front of said panel, said slots extending completely through said panel, fixtures for supporting the curtain and drapery projecting above the upper surface of said panel and including opposed members on each side of said slots, a skirt extending along the front of said panel and being secured thereto, said skirt projecting above and spaced forwardly from said panel and having a downwardly facing groove on the front side at the top, an upwardly facing groove on the front side at the bottom, and a strip of decorative material on the front side of said skirt in said grooves.

5. In a combination drapery and valance fixture: a horizontal elongated panel having slots extending therethrough, fixtures extending through said slots for supporting the drapery, a skirt extending along the front of and projecting above said panel, said skirt having a downwardly facing groove on the rear side at the top, an upwardly facing groove on the rear side at the bottom, and a plurality of clamps on the rear side of said skirt seating in said grooves for holding a valance on said skirt.

6. In a combination drapery and valance fixture: a horizontal elongated panel having slots extending therethrough, fixtures extending through said slots for supporting the drapery, a skirt extending along the front of and projecting above said panel, a track-like means on the rear side of said skirt, and a plurality of clamps on the rear side of said skirt slidable to various predetermined positions along said track-like means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,611 6/1930 DeLisle 160l26 2,588,243 3/1952 Irving 16019 FOREIGN PATENTS 744,612 1/1933 France.

484,783 10/ 1929 Germany.

881,861 7/1953 Germany.

679,244 9/ 1951 Great Britain.

849,517 9/ 1960 Great Britain.

866,583 4/ 1961 Great Britain.

866,800 5/1961 Great Britain.

20 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, CHARLES E. OCONNELL,

Examiners. 

6. IN A COMBINATION DRAPERY AND VALANCE FIXTURE: A HORIZONTAL ELONGATED PANEL HAVING SLOTS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, FIXTURES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS FOR SUPPORTING THE DRAPERY, A SKIRT EXTENDING ALONG THE FRONT OF AND PROJECTING ABOVE SAID PANEL, A TRACK-LIKE MEANS ON THE REAR SIDE OF SAID SKIRT, AND A PLURALITY OF CLAMPS ON THE REAR SIDE OF SAID SKIRT SLIDABLE TO VARIOUS PREDETERMINED POSITIONS ALONG SAID TRACK-LIKE MEANS. 